The Tripura government has urged to include 13 more goods in the essential commodities list to arrest black marketing, while demanding amendment of Essential Commodities Act (ECA) following the recent price rise.
Talking to mediapersons here today, state Food and Civil Supplies Minister Manik Dey said the state government had sent a proposal to the Centre to include potatoes, onions, match-boxes, clothes and soap in the essential commodities list, so that they could be supplied through public distribution system.
‘’Despite our repeated persuasion for past four months, we did not receive any communication from the ministry concerned,’’ Mr Dey said, adding the state government had also proposed certain amendments in the ECA to develop market mechanism for restraining black-marketing.
The Minister, along with top officials of the state administration, held review meeting following sudden price rise with the trade bodies in the state yesterday. The businessmen claimed that price of onion and potato had increased only because of floods in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Maharashtra. Tripura has witnessed the highest-ever hike in the price of potato and onion this year, along with other vegetables. Potato was now selling at Rs 30 and onion at Rs 40 per kg and the prices of almost all consumer goods had doubled, reported UNI.
‘’The Centre should delegate more power to the state by amending the ECA to contain illegal hoarding of essential commodities and price hike. Since this issue is in the concurrent list, the state government cannot do anything to contain black marketing and arrest the price rise of essential commodities,’’ Mr Dey said.
‘’In fact, as per the law, we are completely dependent on the businessmen because in case of price fixation of a commodity we have to believe on his cash memo and claims of transportation cost and this exercise will in no way be effective to control prices unless the government does not get the power to fix the price,’’ Mr Dey said.
He pointed out that the state government had also sent a proposal referring the name of the commodities, which would be considered as essential commodities in Tripura, as EC the goods were not uniform across the country.
Mr Dey, however, added there was no report of any illegal hoarding in the state but admitted that the prices of certain essential goods were comparatively higher in the state and the state government was maintaining close vigil on it.